Want weekly rubbish collections? Then you must have a smaller bin, say councils

Householders celebrating the scrapping of fortnightly rubbish collections are
in for a shock – councils are to force them to use smaller wheelie bins
instead.

By Alastair Jamieson

9:57PM BST 16 Aug 2008

Local authorities facing fierce opposition to "alternate weekly" collections are instead switching to 140-litre bins from the more common 240-litre containers.

Rushmoor Borough Council in Hampshire is introducing the smaller bins after scrapping plans for a fortnightly collection and Trafford Council, in Greater Manchester, is doing the same.

Campaigners have accused the authorities of punishing residents for opposing fortnightly collections, while the councils blame central government targets and landfill taxes for putting pressure on bin collection budgets.

Doretta Cocks, the founder of the Campaign for Weekly Waste Collection, said: "Families who cannot cram all their rubbish in the smaller wheelie bin will have to drive to the tip, which cannot make any sense for the environment."